1. Field
Embodiments relate to a battery module, and more particularly, to a battery module available for an electric vehicle or hybrid electric vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, unlike primary batteries which are not rechargeable, secondary batteries are rechargeable and dischargeable. The secondary batteries are used as energy sources of, e.g., mobile devices, electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, electric bicycles, uninterruptible power supplies, etc. The secondary batteries may be used in the form of a single battery or in the form of a battery module in which a plurality of batteries are electrically connected and packed as a single unit, according to the type of an external device to which the secondary batteries are applied.
Small-sized mobile devices, e.g., cellular phones, can be operated for a predetermined amount of time by using the power and capacity of a single battery. On the other hand, since the power and capacity of a single battery may be insufficient, battery modules are frequently used in devices, e.g., electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles, consuming large amounts of power for a long time. The battery modules are used by connecting a required number of batteries in parallel or series according to output and capacity.